Dragon Fruit Cake

Dragon fruit won't win any awards for what it looks like on the outside, but the inside is a beauty. The magenta flesh is dotted with tiny black seeds. Some varieties have white flesh with black seeds. It's not very sweet, but has a nice texture. Dragon fruit, also called pitaya, is a cactus species. I used the juice to make a puree to swirl into the cake batter. Then I used more of it to make icing for the cake.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 35 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins
• Calories: 934 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 ½ cups white sugar
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 4 eggs
• ¾ cup milk
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 ½ cups cake flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 ¾ cups sifted confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• ¾ tablespoon salt
• 1 (16 ounce) package vanilla buttercream frosting
• 1 dragon fruit, peeled and cubed
• 2 tablespoons simple syrup, or to taste (Optional)

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Divide batter evenly between the prepared cake pans.

Step 2

Place dragon fruit flesh in a blender or food processor and puree. Transfer puree to a bowl and set aside.

Step 3

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour two 8-inch cake pans.

Step 4

Sift cake flour, all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 cups sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl.

Step 5

Cream 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1 cup butter together in a large bowl until pale and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time; beat until yolks disappear.

Step 6

Combine milk, vanilla extract, and almond extract together in a cup and set aside.

Step 7

Add 1/2 the flour mixture to the creamed butter mixture, beating until just combined. Add 1/2 the milk mixture. Add remaining flour mixture and beat until just combined. Add remaining milk mixture and stir until mixed thoroughly. Add 1/2 cup dragon fruit puree and very lightly swirl into the cake batter.

Step 8

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cake comes out clean, about 35 minutes.

Step 9

Let cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes; turn out onto wax-paper lined racks and cool 5 minutes more. Brush tops and sides of cakes with simple syrup.

Step 10

While cakes are cooling completely, beat cream cheese and butter together in a bowl until smooth. Add confectioners' sugar slowly and beat 3 minutes more. Add vanilla and 2 tablespoons dragon fruit puree, beating until combined and puree is completely incorporated.

Step 11

Place one cake layer top-side up on a serving plate; place strips of waxed paper under the edges of the cake to keep the plate clean. Spread approximately 1/2 the vanilla buttercream frosting on top. Top with the second layer, bottom-side up, and lightly frost the top and sides with remaining vanilla buttercream frosting.

Step 12

Apply dragon fruit cream cheese icing to the top and sides of the cake, leaving some of the vanilla buttercream frosting showing through.